April 26, 2024

Did you know that Seattle Police Department K9 Jazzy-Juno was one of the first Explosive Detection K9s in the state of Washington to be certified in Open Air detection through the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC)?

It’s true! And here’s a little bit more about what that means…

When it comes to Explosive Detection K9s, there is the training and testing process that all dogs must successfully complete to receive their certification, in which they must demonstrate their ability to detect static odors.

But what about when the odor is not stationary?

This is where having a K9 trained to track the odor of explosives as it moves through the air, known as Open Air, can help make communities even safer.

Jazzy’s handler, Officer Eric Dupleich, was intrigued by this discipline, so he and a K9 handler with the King County Sheriff’s Office decided to train their dogs in Open Air.

The training was arduous, and it took them about a year of working consistently to get it done. Both were successful, and in 2018, Officer Dupleich and K9 Jazzy, and King County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jonathan Akiona and K9 Chase, became the first K9 teams in Washington to be certified to the CJTC’s standard in the elective discipline of Open Air.

Officer Dupleich and Jazzy maintained that added certification for several years.

Just when we thought we couldn’t be any more impressed with Dupleich and Jazzy’s devotion to public safety, we learned about this. Please join us in thanking this amazing team for everything they do to keep Seattle residents and guests safe!

For more information on SPD’s K9 Unit, visit our Canine webpage at: Canine Unit.